The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for enabling and improving pattern-based user authentication.
Credentials may be used to gain access to information and/or computing resources (e.g., servers, storage devices, databases, files, and computing applications). For example, an end user of a mobile computing device (e.g., a tablet computer or mobile phone) may provide user credentials, such as a user identifier and password, in order to gain access to native applications, web-based applications, or cloud-based applications accessible using the mobile computing device. In some cases, multi-factor authentication may be used in which more than one credential is required in order to gain access to applications running on or accessible by the mobile computing device. For example, two-factor authentication may require the end user of the mobile computing device to provide two authentication factors before gaining access to the applications running on the mobile computing device. An authentication factor may comprise a knowledge factor (e.g., something the end user has knowledge of such as a password), a possession factor (e.g., something the end user has possession of such as a smart card or security token), or an inherence factor (e.g., something inherent only to the end user such as a biometric characteristic). Biometric characteristics may comprise distinguishing characteristics of the end user such as a fingerprint, a voice characteristic, or a facial characteristic.